Farewell Michael Jackson
September 12, 11:08 PMNashville Climate Change Examiner / George Giles
I grew up in Detroit and Chicago during the 60’s and 70’s. It was difficult during those times to not be infused with an fine taste in blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and their offspring: rock n’ roll. The anthem in Detroit was “By day we build the cars, and at night we do the bars.” Many of these bars were filled with artists like Willie Dixon, Big Twist, Muddy Waters, Albert and Freddie King. In their wake came Frank Zappa, Bob Seger, the Police, and the Ramones, just to name a few. Michael Jackson got his start in Motown thanks to visionary producer Barry Gordy. Mr. Jackson’s passing shocked the world last week, and the world responded with an outpouring of love for the man, and sympathy for his family. I was watching his funeral concert when I realized that this man was a man’s man, worthy of respect, a triumph in Human Action.
So many have recounted his musical career that there is nothing that I can add. Instead let us look at the accomplishments of Michael Jackson as a parent, and a business man. A man whose achievements in free trade (Human Action) touched billions just for singing his heart out, astonishing.
In his career his recordings, his concerts, and his videos grossed more than 2 billion USD in sales. This is the economic equivalent of an automobile assembly plant of which there are less than 200 in the world. Each of these employ several thousand workers, and the fixed development cost of each is more than $1 billion USD.
Michael Jackson the businessman, the musician, the classical liberal, the capitalist did not require:
1.Minority contract set asides
2.Import or Export Quotas
3.Import Subsidies
4.Export Subsidies
5.Loans from the International Monetary Fund
6.Federal Loan Guarantees
7.Federal Loan Forgiveness
8.Taxpayer Funded Bailouts
9.United Nations Police Action
10.Help from the United States Armed Forces
11.CIA Intervention
12.Armed Insurgency
13.A New Federal Program
14.Any Federal Program at all
15.Help from Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton in any manner
16.He never bellied up to the Federal Reserve ‘Discount Window’
No one was forced to buy his products. His products did not require any import prohibition or taxation to make his country or firm “competitive”. His prodigious talent was all that was required. His products were consumed freely and voluntarily. In this sense his business was infinitely more stable and productive than all of Wall Street, the American Automotive Industry and Lockheed-Martin.
Michael Jackson became the living embodiment of Martin Luther King’s dream for America where someone would be judged by the power of their personality and the content of their character. This Michael Jackson will have for a long time into the future. He may be to the 20th century what Beethoven and Mozart were to theirs.
In the past few days I watched several shows about him, and interviews with him. His death dominated the mass media due to his popularity and cultural stature. It was clear to this author that this reed thin, and modest man was a giant of Human Action. He loved, his music, he worked hard, and he offended no one. He employed thousands in peace. To quote Duane Allman “How can music offend someone? You may not like it but it cannot offend you.” Michael appeared to me to still possess that childlike wonder of the joys of this world, and its possibility for joy. A characteristic that sadly is something that most of us lose somewhere along the road between our beginning and end.
Michael was never convicted of a crime, even though he settled some allegations out of court because as a businessman and as a father it was the prudent, if not the right thing to do. Anyone that would extort something from a man like this should be deeply ashamed.
Michael grew up on a national stage that most of us cannot conceive of the pressure and stress that it produces. He never cracked under the strain and always appeared to have a sense of grace and bemusement of his predicament. He appeared to comport himself as a gentleman, another trait that seems to ebb with each passing day.
Michael loved animals and was a vegetarian because he could not conscionably have animals killed for his benefit. Michael Jackson was a family man, one who deeply loved his children. I quote Vito ‘Don’ Corleone “Do you spend time with your family? A man can never be a real man if he doesn’t spend time with his family.” Michael Jackson’s home videos look much like my own, much like millions of others. When he hung his infant child over the railing in Germany he had a death grip on the child, and would not have let go had his arms been cut off! Just like the rest of us men who have played with our children since time immemorial. This type of play is actually essential in child development as it stimulates the vestibular cortex.
Michael sought not to be loved so much as to love. He seemed not to be consoled but to console. He never forced anyone to do anything as far as I can tell. Except maybe to admonish his children to always tell the truth, to wash their face, brush their teeth and say their prayers before bed. These are admirable traits in any human being. He seemed to be a man of peace, that soothed others and a man that inspired peace into those he came in contact with.
At the end of the day he puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us. He found, as we all one day will find, that tomorrow is promised to no man. His tomorrows ended in Juily 2009 CE. The world is a little harsher place now, and things seem a little paler with his passing. Still his action and his impact live on in increased record sales that currently add significantly to our GNP and employing many voluntarily, peacefully, even after his death.
Let us praise his achievements and give him the respect that a man’s man deserves. His life was a triumph of Human Action.
Res Ipsa Loquitur
--------------------------------------------------
*Anmerkung: res ipsa loquitur (lat. die Sache spricht für sich selbst)
schöner text, wie ich finde 
